OpifexEversor Destiny's Child
by Songbreeze the Omnipresent
Summary: Published in the Neopian Times by me, songbreeze35. Not too bad. Lupess sets off on the basis of a dream, and goes off to fight the evil Destroyer, who'd just love to kill everything in the world, but, darn it, can't. For... reasons.
1. The Beginning of it All

**Opifex-Eversor – Destiny's Child**

Part One 

The young Lupe puppy scrabbled around inside the hollow in the roots of a tree. It attempted to widen a gap, and failed. There appeared no way out. It whimpered a little, howled, whined, yapped, and finally quietened as still no help came. It curled up and miserably tried to sleep.

*              *              *

Inside the rough hut, a young, yellow female Lupe suddenly sat bolt upright, eyes wide. She blinked a few, times, then shook her head and frowned. A sleepy voice interrupted her thoughts. "Eden? Nightmares again?"  Another female Lupe yawned over to Eden's right as she nodded. "Go back to sleep Eden. It's too early in the morning for lengthy discussions on paranormal activities invading your mental privacies and interrupting your subconscious state during your periods of rest." There was a brief pause, then Moonshadow, Eden's best friend in the Lupe pack, grinned, her white teeth showing up eerily in the semidarkness of the early morning. "Did I just say that?" She wondered. 

Eden yawned. "Maybe it is too early. But I can't sleep after I've just dreamed _that_." 

Moonshadow shrugged. "So go for a trot in the Arctic wastelands out there. Freeze yourself to sleep." 

She yawned and Eden smiled and got up. "Good idea Moon." 

Her friend rubbed her eyes. "I was only kidding Eden. Oh never mind. Just be back for breakfast, 'kay?" Eden nodded and left as Moonshadow curled up to snatch some more sleep.

Eden's full name was Eden-Latin. Her mother had been a great superstitious believer, and having had a very strange dream that she must name her daughter in Latin, Latin from a dream, she had searched for the right word to describe her when she was born. Nothing had seemed to fit except for one word. Or rather, two words. Opifex-eversor. Again, from a dream of Eden's mother's, thus fulfilling the task she thought she was meant to do. As a young pup, Eden had loved playing by, or in, the river – River Eden. Almost every Lupe took to calling her Eden after the river, but her mother held out for a Latin connection. As it was, Eden would probably have changed her name anyway, if she had grown up being called Opifex-eversor. Far too much of a mouthful!

Now the young Lupe headed for the forest, wondering over the dream again. It seemed so lifelike, so… vivid. No matter what anybody else said, she couldn't get it out of her mind. She paused as she reached the edge of the wood and the dusty, beaten path that led through it. She went in, and followed the path for a bit, then turned off at some unmarked point. She walked on for a while, and suddenly the forest stopped and there was a steep drop­ ­and the river began. A waterfall was not too far away, and a permanent rainbow shimmered above it. Eden stopped here and sat down, leaning against a tree. She thought quietly, about her father, about the dream, about everything that troubled her. She could hear her mother's voice, telling her when she was little. _"Your father had wild blood, Eden-Latin. He was never content to stay in one place. I suppose he would have been happy to end his days off adventuring. I just hope you don't take after him." _Eden sighed. Her father had gone off looking for adventure, and found it many times. But he'd gone just after she was born, and never came back from that one. And she knew that, despite her mother's warnings and worries, she had the same wild spirit. And it was beginning to show its strength.

She got back to the Lupe pack in time for breakfast, and found Moonshadow. The friendly Lupe smiled. "Enjoy your little walk on the wild side? Fall of any interesting cliffs?" Eden laughed. Moon grinned. "Rainbow same as ever?" Eden blinked. Moonshadow smiled. "Come on, Eden. You go there every time you just trot out for a walk." 

Eden laughed. "Okay, maybe I do go there a lot. But right now I'm hungry!" She didn't mention the feeling that she was in the wrong place. She didn't tell Moon about the pull of the outside world, and how much she had had to struggle to come back the way she had come.

Over the days, the pull grew stronger. Incessant, nagging at her. Moonshadow, and most of the others, noticed she was a little preoccupied, but they put it down to her upcoming birthday. Only Eden knew what it really was.

The dawn of her birthday loomed near as she lay awake, close on midnight. She sighed. It turned midnight, and she sat up. The pull was far too strong to be resisted now. Quietly, so as not to wake Moonshadow, Eden gathered some things and slipped out of the hut. She paused for a moment, and jumped when someone whispered behind her. "Eden!" She turned to see Moonshadow, looking at her quizzically. "Going for a wander at this time of night – sorry, morning?" Eden smiled wanly. Moon sighed. "I can't stop you. You've got that look in your eye. And if I can't keep you here, I'll just have to go with you. To keep you out of trouble, of course." She winked. 

Eden shook her head. "No. Where I'm going, I'm going alone." 

Moon put her head on one side. "That's a point. Where are you going?" Eden blinked, caught off guard, and Moonshadow smiled. "See? You need somebody with a bit of common sense, and…" She grinned. Eden smiled as Moonshadow lifted up a map and a compass. "…these." She finished triumphantly, and then frowned in mock severity at Eden. "Now let's get this straight. You're about to run away from the Lupe pack, leaving everyone to worry, and you're not even going to take your best friend with you? Eden, I'm disappointed! I expected better from you! And besides, I can't stop you going, and you can't stop me coming with you. Got it?" 

Eden grinned. "Alright, you talked me into it!" 

Moonshadow smiled. "Well, then. Let's get going, before somebody stops us." As they set off, Eden murmured quietly, "Thanks Moon." The other Lupe pretended not to hear.

The two friends walked all the next day, and rested only when they felt tired. They talked as they went, and joked to keep their minds off other, darker things.

They were resting and eating about noon when they heard faint singing off into the wood. With a glance at each other, they packed up the food and started forwards to investigate. They soon found the source of the singing in a clearing – another Lupe, flame coloured, sitting on a rock, mournfully reading a notebook, and singing to himself. The duo looked at each other, then pushed the branches away and moved into the glade. The Lupe jumped, and hastily stowed the notebook away behind him. He tried to look nonchalant. Eden smiled. "We heard your singing and came to investigate." She said bluntly. 

The other Lupe relaxed a little, and grinned. "Ah, once more, the singing of the Siren brings defenceless damsels into danger!" 

Eden hid a grin. "Watch who you're calling defenceless, mate!" 

The Lupe leapt up and bowed with a flourish. "Perhaps instead, we have royalty, warrior princesses!" Moonshadow dropped a curtsey as Eden shook her head, smiling. The Lupe looked shocked. "Why, then, only goddesses would suffice! So brave, so beautiful…" He put his paws up as Eden pretended to look insulted. "…so fearsome!" He grinned as Moonshadow gave up and started laughing. "And may I be so rash as to enquire upon the names of these two lovely visions?" 

Moonshadow and Eden bowed. "Moonshadow and Eden-Latin. And you might be?" 

He smiled. "Nothing quite so exotic. Just plain old Rick I'm afraid." 

Eden nodded. "Rick sounds fine to me." Moonshadow smiled to herself.

The three Lupes took to each other well and decided to continue travelling together, as Rick had no specific destination and was merely wandering the land. As Rick put it, "If we're going to get lost, we might as well be lost in some pleasant company!"

_To be continued…_****


	2. First Confrontation

Part Two 

They travelled for a few days, Rick keeping the mood light with his more or less constant jokes. Eden woke early one morning and found Moonshadow watching Rick sleeping, with a pensive look on her face. Eden yawned, and Moonshadow glanced back at her. "Come on." She whispered, and Eden followed her away from their campsite. Once Moonshadow was sure Rick couldn't hear them she started speaking. "Eden," she began, "don't you think that something's, well, a little strange, about Rick." She carried on, speaking quite quickly. "I mean, he's always joking. He never seems to be serious about anything. And, well, tell me everything you _know _about him." 

Eden blinked, surprised. "Well, he's… he's…" She stopped, and Moonshadow looked triumphant. 

"See? And what does he know about us? Practically our entire life stories. He hasn't told us a thing about himself. He always avoids the questions." Eden glanced back towards the camp. Moonshadow sighed. "Eden…" 

The yellow Lupe turned back to Moonshadow. "Alright, alright. Keep your fur on! We'll ask him, okay?" Se had barely finished the words when there was a cry from the camp. The two froze, then raced back to Rick. He seemed to be fine, and smiled at them as they hurried in. He was packing up his things. "What happened? We heard a cry." Rick blinked, and there was a momentary flicker of fear in his eyes. Or was it just Eden's imagination, playing tricks on her? 

"Oh, that. I, I just rolled onto a thorn, that's all." There was a pause and Eden glanced at Moonshadow. "Now then, my divine deities, shall we pack up and move out, or unpack and move in here?" The other two laughed obediently and started packing up, both with their minds elsewhere.

They walked quite a way before stopping to eat lunch, and as Eden showed no signs of asking Rick about his past, Moonshadow took the initiative. "Why does food always taste better when you're eating outdoors?" 

Rick smiled. "That's not the outdoors, Moon. That's my added secret ingredient, passed down from generation to generation for who knows how long?" 

Moon smiled, used to Rick. "So who invented it? Your mother?" 

Rick looked affronted. "But of course not! I said generations. It was invented by my grandmother, actually." He smiled as Eden laughed. 

"What was she like?" Moonshadow asked. 

Rick paused. "What?" 

Moonshadow smiled. "Your grandmother. What was your grandmother like?" 

Rick blinked, then smiled. "Oh, my grandmother. Well, she was… a very inventive cook!" 

Moonshadow nodded. "But what was she like? What was your mother like?" Rick seemed stuck for an answer as Moonshadow plunged on. "Where did you come from? What was it like there? You know where we come from, what it was like there, so tell us a little about you, Rick. Because so far we know nothing." Rick said nothing, still listening to Moonshadow as she continued. "Not one single little piece of information, and you wouldn't offer us any if I didn't try to wrench it from you, would you? You'd just keep quiet about yourself until we ran out of things to say. Then where would you be?" 

Rick looked down at the ground. "Lost." He said quietly. Eden blinked and Moonshadow paused, interrupted. 

"What do you mean?" Eden asked, as quiet as Rick had been. 

Rick looked her straight in the eyes. "I mean lost. Not like your father, gone, disappeared. I mean taken. Turned away." He shrugged. "Lost."

There was a long pause, then Moonshadow sat back. "Rick?" 

The other Lupe sighed. "I'm going to really catch it for this. Alright. Listen up. This'll take a short while to tell.

"Aeons ago, when the world was young, there were two mighty powers. It should come as no surprise that there was one good, one evil. The good had created the world and everything in it. For that reason it was dubbed 'Creator'. The evil plotted to destroy, and tear the power away from the Creator for itself. It was named as 'Destroyer', or sometimes, increasingly often, as the Dark Lord.

"You might already have guessed that the Light Faerie is the earthly representative of the Creator, and the Dark Faerie is that of the Destroyer. In times of great need, the Creator and the Dark Lord can control the two Faeries, and pit them against one another. If they fought as themselves, the battle would totally destroy all of Neopia. Although they have battled slightly before.

"Darkness struggled for decades, but light always pushed back. The Destroyer had to be content with plotting its revenge. It did try, later on, after the beginning of the world, but its poorly planned attack was swiftly put down and the Dark Lord fled and went into hiding. Nobody is sure where. Or _was_ sure.

"The Destroyer has been recruiting. Now he has a large army, all under his control, completely, and kept alive by his growing power. They've been brainwashed in a way. None of them properly remember freedom, or even what life before was like. The Destroyer has them hidden, somewhere safe. But not too safe. Every now and again somebody stumbles across it, and the Destroyer has a new recruit. People go looking, and more.

"I stumbled upon it, a while back. I was lucky. I've got a natural defence against the Dark Lord's powers. It'll take him longer to turn me to his will. But he could keep me there, and he did until my family wandered in, searching for me. He turned them, but told me he could release them any time he chooses, and sent me out. He did give me a job to do in return for their freedom, though." Rick stopped and fell silent again. Moonshadow glanced at Eden, who asked the inevitable question, although they both felt like they already knew the answer. 

"What's the job?" 

Rick looked back up at Eden. "You."__

The yellow Lupe shivered. "Me how?" She murmured. 

Rick sighed. "The Dark Lord wants your power. With you he could finally defeat the Creator. If you won't be turned, he wants you dead. He sent me out to fetch you to him." 

Eden raised an eyebrow. "Why you? Why not send one of his more experienced, shall we say, trustworthy, minions?" 

Rick smiled wanly. "He said my youth and charm would entice you after me. It was working, wasn't it?" 

Eden's eyes widened slightly. "Rick…" She began. 

Rick interrupted. "It could still work out for the best though, you know. There's still a way we…" 

Eden jumped to her feet, eyes flashing with anger. "Rick! You… you imbecile!" 

Rick blinked. "I don't like you saying that, when…" He began, but Eden interrupted him this time. 

"What did you expect me to say? Oh, it's fine that you're working with the powers of evil trying to destroy the world, and me incidentally. I like a little danger in my life! Well tough! Go on back to your role model and let him brainwash you! Forget about everything! Forget about _me_!" Rick was stunned, and couldn't bring himself even to move as she strode angrily off through the trees.

Moonshadow blinked after Eden's outburst, then turned to Rick. "She likes you." 

Rick shook his head to clear the confusion and stared at Moonshadow. "_That_ was _liking_ me?" 

Moonshadow grimaced. "Well, not really _like_. More, sort of…" There was a yelp from the woods and both Lupes jumped up and ran for the sound.

There was a clearing. Eden was facing another creature, lurking in the shadows. Her hackles were raised and she growled. Rick and Moonshadow peered into the gloom, and managed to identify what looked like a dark cloak, with the hood up and hanging over the face of the creature wearing it. Its back was to the sun, so its face was in shadow. Rick blinked, then his eyes widened and he stepped backwards as the cloaked figure glided forward. Eden and Moonshadow got the impression of a particularly malicious smile before a deep voice bypassed their ears and appeared straight in their heads. "_You failed, Rick. Now come and fetch your… payment._" The fire Lupe went slowly and stood behind the cloaked figure, head down, refusing to meet both Eden's and Moonshadow's gaze.

Eden stepped forwards. "It's me you want, isn't it." She managed to sound calm, making a statement, instead of a question. "Well, I'm not joining you. Did you ever think for one moment that I would?" 

The Dark Lord nodded its cloaked head slowly, not in answer to Eden's question. "_But this way we have an even fight. Two against two._" It raised an arm, the cloak covering even this from view, and shot a ball of dark magic at Eden. She leapt out of the way, and turned to see another, only just managing to dodge it in time. They hit trees, which turned into blackened stumps with a loud explosion.  Moonshadow jumped at the Destroyer, hoping to knock it down, and the cloaked figure turned its attentions to her, moving aside from her attack with speed faster than lightning. Moonshadow landed and stumbled, having to catch her balance and wasting precious seconds. The Destroyer floated off the ground, behind them all, and shot dark magic at her. Eden yelled a warning and Moonshadow rolled over, the ball missing her by an inch. As Eden's back turned, the Destroyer launched an attack on her, and Rick leapt into action, hurtling across the clearing and knocking Eden aside. The dark magic missed. Rick bounded to his feet and leapt at the Dark Lord as the Destroyer flung a ball of dark magic towards them. It engulfed Rick and blazed a brilliant white before exploding. The Dark Lord laughed and vanished, as Eden froze, unable to prevent the strangled cry being torn from her throat. "_Rick!_"

_To be continued…_

****


	3. Searching

**Part Three**

Eden was silent. She and Moonshadow walked on for days, and the yellow Lupe never said a word. More than once, Moonshadow caught her on the verge of tears. She didn't try to force Eden to talk. She knew that would have been the worst thing to do.

Eden-Latin. Opifex-eversor. The Dark Lord mused quietly, watching those under his control.

There was a squeal from further into the woods and Eden raced towards it, Moonshadow close behind. A Harris petpet cowered against a tree, brown to match it, and all alone. There was a rustle in the treetops above them, then a bird's call. Eden and Moonshadow looked at each other. The Harris looked up at them hopefully, then looked miserable. "You not Layla. You know Layla? Layla comin' back soon?" 

Moonshadow shook her head and imitated its speech. "Layla who? Not know any Layla." 

Eden watched the Harris's hopes fall and said "Layla come back no time soon, I thinkin'. You comin' with us, maybe? What your name?" 

The Harris looked back up defiantly. "What _your _name?" 

Moonshadow laughed. "My name Moonshadow." 

Eden smiled. "My name Eden. You name?" 

The Harris shrugged. "Layla callin' me Riva. You not Layla. Call me other name." 

Eden grinned. "You name insolence! But we callin' you Kyla. Close to Layla. We maybe also callin' you brave!" 

Kyla looked surprised. "Me brave?" 

Moonshadow nodded. "You brave. And you clever!" 

The Harris frowned. "Clever how?" 

The Lupe laughed. "You get Eden speaking!"

Eden, Moonshadow and Kyla travelled onwards for a good few more days. Kyla rode on Eden's back most of the time, sometimes scurrying ahead. It was late night and they had a campfire burning when Moonshadow asked Kyla about Layla. The Harris shrugged. "Layla like youse two. Lupedog. But shadowy colourin'. Buyin' me from shop, makin' me welcome with family. Then her brother lost. Go searchin' in forest. They all vanishin', and me 'lone 'gain. Searchin' for them, bringin' me further away. Tired an' 'ungry, findin' youse two." She glanced from one to the other, surprised at their reactions. "Whatta matter?" 

Moonshadow tried to relax. "What Layla brother name?" 

Kyla smiled. "Layla brother nicey Lupedog. Layla callin' 'im Rick." Eden and Moonshadow blinked, then Moonshadow set off on a different track of questions. 

"Where you losin' Layla? Where startin' searchin'?" 

Kyla nodded eagerly. "Notta far now. Youse two goin' inna good way already." 

Eden smiled grimly. "I take it that we're heading in the right direction. In which case we'd better get some sleep tonight. Tomorrow will be a busy day."

The morning sun rose slowly, as if it knew what the day held, and was reluctant to unleash it upon the unsuspecting. It's silky golden light cautiously wandered over Eden and Moonshadow's faces before carefully stroking Kyla's eyes open. The little Harris stretched and yawned, then nudged Eden. "Lupedogs sleepydogs. Gettin' up yet? It dawn a plenty. Whatta happenin' to "busy day"?" 

Eden yawned. "Go away, pest. I need my beauty sleep." Kyla skipped round and peered at Eden's face critically as the Lupe opened her eyes. 

"Yup. You's needin' plenty o' beeyooty sleep." She skipped away again with a squeal and hid behind a tree as Eden leapt up. "Least you's awakin' now!" 

Moonshadow laughed at them both as she got up and stretched. "Kyla has a point Eden. You _did_ say it would be a busy day today. We need an early start if we're going to do what I think you have in mind." 

Eden stretched and nodded. "Alright, point taken. Kyla, you can come out now." The Harris peeped out from behind the tree, then noticed Moonshadow making breakfast and ran over. 

"Hungry now! Chasin' early good for makin' hungry!" 

Eden smiled. "Well eat plenty. There's going to be some more chasing before you get a chance to eat again." 

Before Eden's prediction could come true the trio had to start searching. Kyla showed Eden and Moonshadow where she had been searching when Layla and her family had disappeared. The Harris waved a little uncertainly in one direction. "Layla searchin' over there. I lookin' up, seein' 'er. She shakin' head. I lookin' away. Not feelin' right, lookin' back, she gone. Poof!" She spread her little arms wide. 

Eden nodded. "So we're startin' searchin' where she disappearin'. Maybe we findin' her?" 

Kyla shrugged. "Maybes. Needin' lotsa luck for doin' that, me thinkin'."

Kyla appeared to be right after two hours fruitless searching. The two Lupes flopped down and rested by a tree while the Harris kept moving around, trying to find any possible place for her previous owner to have vanished into. "We should have known it would take a long time. Kyla has searched before, and it took Layla and her family _ages _before they found the way in. I think our luck's out." 

Eden smiled grimly. "Was our luck ever in?" She paused, then frowned slightly. "We managed fine with about as much bad luck as you can get for a long time, right?" 

Moonshadow looked up at Eden. "I suppose you're right." 

The yellow Lupe shook her head and sat up a little straighter. "Never mind supposing. I _am_ right. And I say it's about time for our luck to change for the better! Am I right?" 

Moonshadow began to smile. "You're right!" 

Eden stood up. "So am I right when I say we're going to find it? _Now_?!" 

Moonshadow jumped to her feet, grinning and yelled back at her friend. "YES YOU ARE!" 

Eden laughed recklessly. "_WE WILL_!"

_To be continued…_


	4. Second Confrontation

****

Part Four 

The two Lupes and the Harris clustered round a hole in the roots of a tree. It was just big enough for Eden to squeeze through, but what lay behind was completely in shadow. Eden nodded. "That's it." 

Moonshadow shivered slightly. "How can you be so sure?" 

The yellow Lupe shrugged. "Call it a hunch." In her mind's eye, she could see a little Lupe puppy, trying to break free. Trapped behind roots. Roots that belonged to this very tree, she knew. Kyla moved forward. "Me goin' in first. Smally, no 'ttention."

Moonshadow nodded. "You're right, I suppose. Little petpets don't normally attract as much attention as two hulking great Lupes crawling in." The Harris smiled, took a deep breath, then dived down the hole. Moonshadow followed more slowly, then Eden came after them, wondering all the time what was going to happen.

She was amazed at what she found as she crawled along the tunnel. Along both sides were engraved pictures, scenes from history. The dim light from behind her illuminated some. She was not extremely surprised, but still quite dismayed to find that they were mostly depicting the ferocious battles between the Creator and the Destroyer. Scratched below one with stunning detail on the two clashing figures, she read the words, "The Ultimate of Good and Evil". She looked back to the way she was going and crawled on. The tunnel grew larger until she was able to walk on all four paws. She muffled a startled shriek when she brushed into a large cobweb, and shuddered. She was anticipating the next shock when it came. Her cynical side had been expecting a skeleton or two, but when she passed through a large cavern with a lake in it and glanced at the water, she had not expected five different grins from a pile of flooded skulls. She shivered as she realised that there were more, and hurried on. The tunnel suddenly sloped more steeply downward, and she slowed down to stop her self from slipping. The darkness increased, and she didn't see the sharp drop. Before she knew it, she was flat on her back and sliding wildly down.

Eden landed with a bump that snatched her breath away from her. She looked up into the blank, emotionless eyes of a purple Zafara holding a spear. It lowered it and prodded Eden until she got up. The Lupe glanced around her and saw a red Skeith and a green Buzz keeping a close eye on Kyla, and no less than five Neopets surrounding a growling Moonshadow. This, at least, made Eden smile slightly. At least until a green Chomby marched over and waved his spear, indicating that the three of them should be dealt with. The Zafara switched grip on the spear and raised it as if to stab Eden. The others copied her example, but Eden threw caution to the winds and yelled. "Halt!" The shock of it more than anything else made the Zafara pause, and Eden took that chance to snatch the spear from her grasp and snap it over one knee. The Zafara blinked, and her eyes narrowed before Eden started speaking. "What do you mean by this insubordination? Were you given no orders concerning us?" 

The Zafara nodded and spoke flatly and expressionlessly. "If two Lupes, one yellow and one silver, enter, slay them." 

Eden raised an eyebrow. "But your master said nothing about a yellow Lupe, a silver Lupe and a Harris petpet?" The Zafara shook its head. Eden nodded, keeping up the pretence. "Then he made an error. We are to be taken straight to him, no matter what he is doing. It is vital that we are shown where he is." Moonshadow gulped quietly, and her eyes widened slightly. The Zafara paused for a moment, then, almost reluctantly, saluted. The spears were removed and Moonshadow and Kyla stepped forward to Eden as the Zafara wheeled about and marched away. The trio paused only momentarily before following.

The purple Zafara led the group past ranks of armed Neopets, practising manoeuvres. Eden and Moonshadow looked about with a horrified fascination, but Kyla only glanced at each face in frustration. She shook her head. The Zafara stopped and saluted at a cave entrance. Eden spoke quietly. "He is expecting us. We need no introduction." 

The Zafara nodded, then frowned slightly before marching away. Eden paused a moment, took a deep breath, and entered the cave. Moonshadow and Kyla followed into the darkness. The Lupe led the way through the cave, straining her eyes to see the next corner. They followed the path around an extremely sharp bend and bright green light assailed their eyes while a sudden mist rose up and masked their view anyway. A quiet chuckle began in front of them, and rose up to an almost insane laughter. Eden fought hard against every instinct in her to back away, and stepped forwards through the fog instead. All of a sudden, the going grew harder, and she had to push her way forward, as though she were trying to walk with a heavy weight tied to her legs. She pushed forward still, and fell to her knees. She refused to stop and crawled on. Moonshadow and Kyla had to stop crawling and tried ineffectually to move forward. They called out to Eden, but she kept moving. Moonshadow yelped in surprise as she started sliding backwards, and Eden moved forwards faster at the sound. She burst into the cavern where the Destroyer stood, and surprise and dismay passed through its mind, though quickly banished as Eden got to her feet. The Lupe looked up at him. "_So. I was expecting you to arrive in my humble abode soon, Opifex-eversor_." 

Eden smiled slightly. "But we got past your minions." 

The Destroyer laughed. "_I control them_! _Their minds are mine_! _They will only ever do as I order them to_!" 

Eden blinked. "Do you mean… You let us in?" The cloaked figure nodded slowly. Eden narrowed her eyes. "So why the fog? Why make it so hard to get to you if you'd already paved the way for us?" 

The Destroyer answered quite civilly. "_I wanted to know something_. _I can see everything, past or present_,_ but I cannot see the future_._ The other, my age old foe, can see present and future, but not past_." 

Eden nodded. "No doubt you won't tell me what you wanted to know, so I just have one more question. Why don't I just kill you now and be done with it all?" 

The Dark Lord chuckled. "_Because you would fail_._ You would be destroyed_,_ and Rick_…_ Rick would be all alone in the world, and soon turned to my will_." 

Eden took a step backwards in surprise. "But… you… Rick's…"

The Dark Lord raised one of his cloaked arms and pointed behind the Lupe. "_Dead_?" Eden turned slowly and the wall behind her shimmered before turning transparent. She saw a pale green bubble floating in mid air, and Rick curled up inside. He looked pale, despite being coloured in fire. Eden frowned at the sight of another Lupe in another bubble, only this one was older, and was a light blue. "Who…?" She murmured, a faint memory nagging at the back of her mind. Perhaps from a picture, of maybe even just a description…

"_Don't you remember_?" Asked the Destroyer, with a mocking hint in his voice. 

Eden frowned, then her eyes widened slightly. "Is that… my father?"

The Dark Lord waved his hand slightly and the wall turned opaque again. "_Now you know the full extent of your annoyance_. _With you still alive_,_ both of these_, _the only immunes left_, _refused to give up and give in to me_." 

Eden turned back to him. "Why bother about them? You boast so much about your power, anyone would think you didn't need two more creatures so much. Unless of course you're weaker than you seem."

The unexpected insult made the Dark Lord straighten up slightly. His voice was laden with menace. "_I am **never** weak_._ Those two have more power than you can possibly imagine_. _With them on my side_, _the _"_Creator_" _would not stand a chance_! _It was a shame you could not be turned to realise your full potential_! _But instead_,_ you chose to defy me_,_ **me**_,_ and try and stop me_! _And now you will have to be destroyed_." Eden backed away from the cloaked figure and found herself up against the wall as the Dark Lord raised his arm and gathered his energy for the fatal, magical, blow…

_To be continued…_


End file.
